Substitute Teachers Cross The Lines

Tuesday students were met by substitute teachers who crossed picket lines to get to classrooms. District officials report about 68 percent of students showed up. According to the Medford Mail Tribune, one North Medford High School student reported class sizes of as many as 60 students. The large size prompted a walkout by the seniors.

District officials had re-opened the schools with about 200 substitute teachers, and 300 classified staff and administrators, who are not on strike. Half day schedules are in place, and schools have been combined, with some buildings closed.

The large class sizes yesterday prompted a call to the fire marshal to investigate safety concerns.

A state mediator met briefly with district and union leaders yesterday for a status update. Contract negotiations will resume at 9:30 a.m. today at an undisclosed location.

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Many Medford students will return to class today, but their teachers won’t be there. District teachers have been on strike since Thursday.

After being closed for three days while the Medford School District made strike preparations, schools are reopening today with half-day schedules.

The Medford Mail Tribune reports that Superintendent Phil Long would not verify exactly how many substitutes the district had hired. He also declined comment on the number of teachers who had decided to return to school despite the strike.